Journalists of Bihus.info demand apologies from the leaders of “Batkivshchyna” for insulting their colleague

The team of anti-corruption project Bihus.info demands a public apology from the head of Kyiv branch of “Batkivshchyna” Kostiantyn Bondarev and the head of the Yulia Tymoshenko's party “for inadmissible behavior, threats and disparagement” of the journalist of program “Nashi Hroshi with Denys Bihus”, Maryana Motrynych. This information was published on the website Bihus.info. “In response to the information request from the journalist Maryana Motrunych, Mr. Bondarev called and said (quoted): “Maryana, quite an interesting question you asked, but I cannot give you a response to it… I will have to notify about your professional activity all your neighbors and relatives that you are… a prostitute”, the website quotes. The editorial office also noted that in addition to offences via phone call that were shown in the story, Bondarev also was sending degrading and threatening text messages to her. “Thus, we expect not only a public apology from Kostiantyn Bondarev, but also an official response of the party “Batkivshchuna” to this behavior of one of its leaders. The relevant note was already sent to the press service of the party”, the editorial office notifies. In case of absence of the proper response within a week, the editorial office will file a claim to the court to protect honor and dignity of their journalists. In her address to the party, Maryana Motrunych states that Kostiantyn Bondarenko instead of answering questions was responding with disparaging remarks. According to the journalist, she sent the request to Bondarenko as a part of her investigations of incomes of the party leader, Yulia Tymoshenko. She discovered that the pawn shop registered in one of the buildings belonging to the party (at 48 Heroiv Sevastopolia street), was sending money to Tymoshenko, so she sent a request to the head of the local party branch.